Fire & Ice
by MakoHeadrush
Summary: Reno likes Cloud. A lot. Unfortunately, Cloud has issues. Reno will have his work cut out for him in trying to get the planet's hero to open his heart, and to win his affections. Set after Advent Children.  Rated M for safety.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: Reno likes Cloud. A lot. Unfortunately, Cloud has issues. Reno will have his work cut out for him in trying to get the planet's hero to open his heart, and to win his affections.**

**Setting: After Advent Children**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy. If I did, Advent Children would be a porno. Nor do I own any songs quoted within, they are attritbuted to the artist, and are only quoted to set the mood. This writing is for fun, not profit.**

**Rating: M for language, and eventual lemons.**

**This story is in-progress - it'll probably end up being more than two chapters or so.**

* * *

><p><strong>"I Wanna Be Your Man" - LA Guns<strong>

_I'm a hard man to fight_  
><em>I'm an easy man to please<em>  
><em>Baby, don't you mess with me<em>  
><em>'Cause you couldn't take the heat<em>

_I wanna be your man_  
><em>I wanna be your lover, baby<em>  
><em>I wanna be your man<em>

* * *

><p>If anyone had bothered to ask Reno when he and Cloud Strife - and the rest of AVALANCHE, for that matter - had ceased to be enemies, the Turk would have been hard pressed to come up with an exact answer. After all, he and Strife had butted heads more than once. Well, they'd done more than butted heads - they'd tried to kill each other. Repeatedly, and oftentimes with much gusto.<p>

Furthermore, Reno really wasn't sure when he had started to notice Cloud in a different light. Of course, Strife was still all business whenever he had to deal with the Turks and Shinra, and Reno shrugged off his wanton desire for the man, thinking it'd be next to impossible to crack that tough, stoic exterior of Cloud's.

Of course...Reno always relished a challenge.

"Speak of the devil," Reno muttered, glancing up from his drink.

"Huh?" Rude said distractedly, knocking back the rest of his beer.

As if on cue, Cloud entered through the front door of Seventh Heaven, where Reno and Rude were having themselves an after-work cocktail. Cloud glanced over at the two Turks, nodding at them without emotion, merely acknowledging their presence. He said nothing, but walked right past them to the bar. After exchanging a few short words with Tifa, the swordsman tromped up the staircase, probably heading up to his makeshift office/bedroom on the second floor.

Reno smirked, blatantly ogling the backside of Cloud as he ascended the stairs. Swirling the remaining whiskey around in his tumbler - much of it was melted ice-water by now - Reno tilted his head back as he lifted the glass to his mouth, and drained it in one swallow. He placed the emptied glass on the table, and turned to his partner. "Another one, Rude?" he inquired, hoping his partner would say yes.

"Maybe one more," Rude agreed.

"Righty-o," Reno replied, grabbing his empty glass as well as Rude's, to bring them up to the bar. As he approached, Tifa had her head down, returning a few bottles of liquor to their proper places behind the bar. She looked up, startled, as Reno placed the dirty glasses on the bar.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, smiling hesitantly at Reno. "Uh...thanks for bringing those up," she said, taking the glasses from the bar and placing them in the sink. "Not all my patrons are as thoughtful."

"No problem," Reno replied, grinning easily. "I may be an asshole at times, but I'm not all _that_ bad, Tifa."

Tifa chuckled, running her fingers through her long chestnut locks. Reno noticed the light reflecting off of some of the lighter strands. Even Reno had to admit to himself - Tifa _was_ a beautiful woman. _Why hasn't Strife tapped that yet, though?_ Reno puzzled. _Or...maybe he has, and he's keeping it under wraps? But you know...Tifa deserves better than that. If Cloud's banging her, she shouldn't be his dirty little secret. That wouldn't be right._

The Turk was trying to piece together everything in his mind. Cloud and Tifa lived together under the same roof; both ran businesses together; and then there were the kids, Denzel and Marlene. But, were they _together_ together? Reno was dying to find out. Strife's body language, Reno thought, indicated otherwise.

"Penny for your thoughts, Reno?" Tifa said pleasantly, interrupting Reno's reveries.

"Huh?" Reno muttered, gaping at Tifa. "Oh. Sorry. I, uh, need a couple more drinks. Whiskey for me, and whatever the hell Rude was having. Some microbrew shit, as I recall." Tifa smiled and nodded, and got a fresh whiskey tumbler out of the clean glass rack. Reno leaned on the bar, when his eye caught a glint of shiny metal. It was Cloud's sword - his newest one - propped up behind the bar. _What an odd place to keep that_, Reno thought curiously. He doubted Tifa - strong though she was - would have been able to wield the thing properly, if she needed to.

"Strife forget his sword over there?" Reno asked Tifa, nodding toward the weapon. "Seems like a strange place to keep such a big-ass sword."

"Huh?" Tifa muttered. "Oh," she said, rolling her eyes, suddenly noticing the sword there. "That thing. I _told_ him to keep his shit upstairs," she said irritably.

Reno laughed. _Trouble in paradise?_ he thought with a calculating grin. _This could be interesting._

"If it's in your way, Tifa, I'll bring it up to blondie," Reno offered. "I don't mind. He's upstairs, right?"

"Cloud probably doesn't want to be disturbed while he's going over his invoices," Tifa said sourly. Her mouth set in a thin line; clearly, Reno had unintentionally touched a nerve. Reno was starting to feel sympathy toward Tifa - and irritation toward Cloud. _Man, maybe I should set my sights elsewhere...Tifa's making him out to sound like a real prick. _

"Fuck him, and fuck his invoices," Reno retorted. He walked behind the bar, and grabbed the handle of the sword. "I'll bring it up to him, Tifa. Put those drinks on my tab, if you don't mind...I'll cash out when I come back down, this is our last round anyway."

"Okay, Reno," Tifa said, sighing. "Thanks. But don't be surprised if he bites your head off."

Now Reno was starting to feel irritated. _What, does everyone walk on eggshells around this guy? Fuck that. __I knew Strife had a bit of a chip on his shoulder, but I didn't realize he was this bad. _

"You know, Tifa," Reno said lowering his voice. "If Strife is such an asshole, why are you still with him?"

Tifa's eyes widened, as she stared at Reno. She popped the cap off of Rude's beer, without saying anything. Tifa then turned to Reno, frowning. "Together?" she repeated. "We live together, but...we're not _together_, Reno," she explained. "Not like that."

"Oh," Reno replied. "Good." He flinched as the last word slipped out. _Way to make it obvious, that I'm fishing for info..._

Tifa laughed at Reno's expression of relief. "Why were you asking, Reno? Are _you_ interested in him?"

"No!" Reno exclaimed, lying. "Why would I be interested in some dude...who...who, ah..." He looked down at Cloud's sword, still gripping it firmly in his hand. "I'm not interested in some dude who carries around a big fucking sword in order to compensate for other shortcomings." He grinned triumphantly at Tifa; now he wouldn't look like some desperate fool lusting after the planet's most celebrated hero. Which he supposed he was, but Reno didn't want the world at large to know this. Yes, Reno wanted Cloud - badly - but he knew it was probably a pipe dream at best. Or, if anything ever did happen between the two, it would probably take copious amounts of alcohol to wear down Cloud's defenses.

"Excuse me?" came a voice from behind Reno. _Oh shit. _Reno spun on his heel and came face-to-face with Cloud. "Oh...hi, Cloud," the Turk blurted, his face reddening. _Shit. I bet he heard that..._

The smirk on Cloud's face quickly faded, as he saw what Reno was clutching in his hand. "What the hell are you doing with my sword, Reno?" he demanded, frowning.

"I was bringing it to you, asshole," Reno snapped. "It's kind of in Tifa's way down here, you know."

"Oh," Cloud murmured, his expression softening. He took the sword from Reno, and looked contritely at Tifa. "I'm sorry, Teef. I know, you keep reminding me to keep it out of the way - "

"It's just that one of the kids could get hurt on it, you know?" Tifa said, shrugging her shoulders. "Just...try to keep it out of the bar, please. I mean, what if someone took it?"

Cloud nodded, sighing. "You're right, Tifa. I'm sorry. It won't happen again." He gripped the sword in his hand, and smirked at Reno. "Surprised you could even lift this sword, Turk."

_Oh no he didn't! _Reno thought, raging. _That asshole! If he thinks I'll let him get away with fucking insulting me like that..._

"You know, you're a real piece of work, Strife," Reno retorted. "I was about to do you a favor!"

"I don't need your help, Reno," Cloud said coldly. He hoisted his sword over his shoulder, turning to head back up the stairs once again.

"By the way, Reno," the swordsman remarked, glancing behind him at the Turk, "I don't have to compensate for _anything_." He chuckled as he turned away, and continued on up the stairs.

Reno stood there, fuming, as Tifa looked at him curiously, trying to hide a smirk.

"Is he always this fucking moody?" he asked Tifa irritably. She snickered, shrugging her shoulders.

"Actually," she commented, "he seems to be in a pretty good mood today, believe it or not."

"Wonderful," Reno murmured. "Figures, that of all the available men in Edge, I have have the hots for the one with the pissiest attitude." His face reddened as he realized what he'd just blurted out. Tifa raised an eyebrow at him, smirking.

"I knew it," she said accusingly, grinning at Reno. "I _knew_ you liked him. Hell, everyone knows you like Cloud. You're not exactly subtle, Reno."

"What?" Reno blurted, shocked. "What do you mean? I never said - well, I never said anything, not until just now - "

"Reno," Tifa said patiently, as if talking to a smalll child. "You come in here nearly every day with Rude. And, anytime Cloud is in the same room, you stop what you're doing and just _stare_ at him. It's so obvious you have a crush on him, gods!"

"But I didn't - I mean, I never - " Reno stammered. "Oh, fuck man! I thought I was being subtle!" A sudden thought occurred to Reno, and a look of terror washed over his face. "Tifa," he whispered. "Does he...does Cloud know? That I...kinda...like him?" he asked hesitantly.

Tifa chuckled warmly. "Yes, he does. But...I have no idea if he feels the same way," she admitted, shrugging her shoulders. "Now, I'm going to give poor Rude his beer before it gets warm...go talk to Cloud if you want, but he's probably asleep by now."

"Asleep?" Reno scoffed. "It's not even nine in the evening!" _I'll wake his ass up_, Reno thought, setting his jaw as he ascended the back stairs.

It was quiet on the second floor; Reno realized that Denzel and Marlene were probably fast asleep in their rooms. At least, he hoped they were. He crept quietly toward the room where he knew Cloud's office was. The door was the slightest bit ajar; a tiny sliver of light shone out into the hallway.

_That is totally lame if he's asleep already_, Reno thought, smirking. He eased the door open with the tip of his EMR, edging it open. There were no lights on in the room; the light that Reno had seen creeping out in the hallway was due to the bright moonlight streaming through the window.

Silhouetted against the window, was Cloud - shirtless, hands on his hips. His back was to Reno, and the moonlight reflected off of his pale skin, accenting and highlighting the curves of his muscled shoulders and arms.

Reno sucked in his breath at the sight. In the moonlight, Cloud looked like a god, sculpted of palest marble.

"What do you want, Reno?" Cloud murmured, without turning around. Reno swallowed, and shut the door behind him. He walked over to Cloud, his heart thudding in his chest. _Just spit it out, Turk_, he told himself. _The worst that'll happen, is that Cloud will say no...but at least then, you'll know._

"What do I want?" Reno murmured, standing directly behind Cloud. He lowered his head so that his mouth was right next to Cloud's ear.

"What do I want," Reno said again. "I want _you_, Cloud." Reno leaned in even closer, his breath tickling the side of Cloud's neck. _He's not even reacting!_ Reno thought frantically. _Shit. I'm barking up the wrong fucking tree. I should have known better..._

"I thought we were enemies," Cloud said flatly, still not turning around. Oh, this was maddening to Reno - Cloud's stubborn refusal to react, or even look him in the eye.

"And here I thought we were on the same side, now," Reno replied, sighing in defeat. "Look. I get it, okay? I'm a Turk...you're mister high-and-mighty, too good to mingle with scum like me - "

"Shut up," Cloud snarled, suddenly pivoting around, facing Reno. He grabbed the redhead by the shoulders and pushed him clear across the room, pinning him against the wall.

_He's going to fucking punch me,_ Reno thought, flinching and bracing himself for the impact. _And it's not like I don't deserve it, I insulted his manhood earlier, then I just fucking barged into his room -_

But, much to Reno's surprise, Cloud did not punch him. He kissed him. Roughly, which was the way Reno liked it. Cloud pressed Reno against the wall, still kissing him, pinning his shoulders back with both hands.

Panting for breath, Cloud finally broke the kiss to come up for air. "This will never work," he said hoarsely, and turned from Reno. Cloud sighed, and sat on the edge of his bed, placing his head in his hands. "This can't possibly be happening," Cloud murmured.

Now Reno was angry. "What the hell's the big idea?" he said, fury rising within him, coloring his cheeks. "You go and kiss me like that, and then tell me it ain't gonna work? Oh no you don't, Strife. Don't you fucking toy with me."

"Maybe you should go, then," Cloud said quietly, looking sadly at Reno. "I'm no good to anyone. Not...in a relationship, anyway."

"Who said anything about a relationship?" Reno blurted. _Shit. Didn't mean to come out with it like that. _

"Oh," Cloud replied sourly. "I get it now. You just want to have a quick fuck, is that it?" he said angrily. "I should have known. I guess I'm an idiot, thinking you might feel something more. Get out, Reno. Just get out."

"Wait! I didn't mean it like that - oh fuck it, Strife! Do you know how fucking pigheaded you are?" Reno shouted. "You don't get it at all!"

"Keep your voice down, asshole," Cloud hissed. "Kids are trying to sleep."

"Shit," Reno said, lowering his voice to a whisper. "I'm sorry. But you were pissing me off!"

"You're pissing _me_ off," Cloud retorted. "Why did you come up here anyway? Just to taunt me?"

"Taunt you?" Reno echoed, arching his eyebrows in surprise. "Why would I do that?"

"I've seen you, Reno," Cloud told him. "I've seen the way you look at me, when you think I'm not looking at you. And I've got to admit, it flattered me. But this will never work," he said dismissively. "It _can't_ work."

"Why?" Reno asked softly. He slowly walked over to Cloud, and sat down next to him on the bed. Reno was grateful that Cloud didn't immediately get up to get away from him, or deck him. The Turk ran a long finger up Cloud's bared spine, causing him to shiver.

"Why do you keep saying it will never work?" Reno whispered, pressing himself ever closer to Cloud. "Is it because I'm a Turk?"

"That's...part of it," Cloud admitted. "But only a small part. Stop...stop doing that, Reno. Stop touching me."

"You like how it feels, don't you?" Reno asked, leaning over to kiss Cloud's shoulder. "I don't think you really want me to stop, do you?"

"No," Cloud gasped. "No - I don't know - damn it, Reno, you're confusing me! I don't know how I should feel anymore!" Reno froze and stopped what he was doing, as Cloud got up from the bed, and began pacing nervously.

"For so long, all I could feel was hatred," Cloud said quietly, taking a seat beside Reno once again on the bed. "And the only desire I had in my heart, was revenge. Revenge on Sephiroth, for everything...and everyone, he took away from me. And I got my revenge didn't I? He's dead now. For the second time." Reno nodded, unable to speak; his eyes were fixed on Cloud, as he waited for him to continue.

"I have no room in my heart for love," Cloud said quietly. "Somewhere along the way, I forgot how to feel...how to be human again. And I don't think I'll ever get that back. It's the last thing Sephiroth took away from me," he concluded morosely. "I just feel...so empty, now."

Reno was shocked into silence at Cloud's candid confession, and almost felt like weeping himself, over Cloud's heartbreak and misery. He wasn't even sure what was the right thing to say - if there even _was_ a 'right' thing to say.

"I refuse to believe that," Reno finally said. He touched his fingers to Cloud's face, gently turning his chin, forcing the blond to look him in the eye. "Cloud. You have a _good_ heart. Don't tell me you're incapable of love, because I think you are. You just feel empty now because your worst enemy is gone. Of course you feel a void now."

Cloud chuckled. "I don't believe this. Reno of the Turks is psychoanalyzing me."

Reno laughed softly. "I'm serious though, man," he said. "It's like...if you're running from something for a long time. That's all you know, is that you're trying to get away from whatever it is, and running...always running, never stopping to look back. Then one day, when you get to stop running - it shocks the shit out of you. And as sick as it sounds, you miss running. Even though you should feel at peace, you miss the adrenaline rush you used to get when you were running."

"Shit," Cloud murmured, visibly impressed. "How in the hell did you get so smart, Reno?" he asked, casting a sideways smile at the Turk.

"Experience is a wonderful teacher. And let's just say, I've done my fair share of running away from shit," Reno replied dryly, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh," Cloud said, sighing. "I won't ask...unless you want to tell me about it," he told Reno.

"Maybe another time," Reno said dismissively. The Turk felt something tugging at his insides, since Cloud spilled his guts to him. "No fucking way," Reno muttered, disbelieving.

_I'm falling for him. Damn it, but I am. Falling hard, too._

"What?" Cloud mumbled, not quite hearing what Reno had said. "Did you say something?"

"No," Reno lied. He turned, facing Cloud, and ran his hand along his outer thigh, trying to ease the swordsman back on the bed.

"What are you doing?" Cloud asked - not quite struggling against Reno, but no longer putting up a fight. He leaned back on the bed slightly, Reno still hovering over him.

"I want you, Cloud," Reno said hoarsely. "Like I told you. If you'll have me, that is."

Cloud sank down onto the nest of pillows and sighed. He pulled Reno into an embrace, and the Turk plundered Cloud's open mouth with his tongue, kissing him roughly.

"I just don't think it'll work, the two of us," Cloud murmured sadly, running his hand through Reno's thick red hair. His fingers traced the facial tattoos on Reno's cheekbones, as he locked eyes with the Turk.

"Then let me prove you wrong," Reno whispered, his head descending once more as he kissed Cloud again, over and over.

This time, Cloud did not stop him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Warnings for this chapter: Language, lemon, Reno.**

* * *

><p><strong>"I Want You Now" - Depeche Mode<strong>

_I want you now_  
><em>Tomorrow won't do<em>  
><em>There's a yearning inside<em>  
><em>And it's showing through<em>  
><em>Reach out your hands <em>  
><em>And accept my love<em>  
><em>We've waited for too long<em>  
><em>Enough is enough<em>  
><em>I want you now<em>

_My heart is aching _  
><em>My body is burning<em>  
><em>My hands are shaking<em>  
><em>My head is turning<em>  
><em>Do you understand <em>  
><em>It's so easy to choose<em>  
><em>We've got time to kill<em>  
><em>We've got nothing to lose<em>  
><em>I want you now<em>

* * *

><p>Cloud sank down into the bedding, dragging Reno with him, their kiss deepening. <em>I can't believe this is happening<em>, he thought, groaning into Reno's mouth. _Why is this happening?_

_~this shouldn't be happening~_

_"_Reno," Cloud said hoarsely, breaking the kiss. He was about to protest, to tell Reno to stop...that they shouldn't be doing this, for Gaia's sake, two former enemies about to -

Then Cloud looked into Reno's aquamarine eyes, unnaturally bright in the moonlit room. There was something in those eyes that Cloud suddenly recognized - lust, certainly, but also a hint of neediness, and longing.

_Reno...he needs this_, Cloud thought. _Maybe...maybe I need it too. I need to feel something. I haven't felt my heart pound in my chest like this since..._

"It's been a while," Cloud mumbled.

"Been a while for me too," Reno whispered, running his hands over Cloud's chest. One of Reno's fingers brushed over a nipple, and Cloud hissed at the pleasurable sensation.

"Sensitive there, huh?" Reno murmured, descending upon it with his mouth. He sucked hard on it, grazing his teeth around the pert nipple as he bit down - gently enough so that he did not draw blood, but hard enough so that Cloud would feel it.

And, feel it he did. "Oh fuck, Reno!" Cloud hissed in a near-whisper. Things were starting to get too heated, too carried away...Cloud knew, just by the heat pooling in his groin, that he wouldn't be able to contain himself much longer.

Reluctantly, he pushed Reno off of him. "Get off," he whispered, a bit sadly. "Stop. We need...to stop."

Reno's eyes blazed angrily. _Fuck Strife, anyway!_ he thought, enraged. _Should have known he was fucking toying with me._

"Fine, then," Reno said coldly. "I'll go. And I'll take my blue balls with me. You know, you are one cold-hearted motherfucker-"

"Reno, shut up!" Cloud whispered, hissing. He grabbed Reno's sleeve, pulling him back. "I just wanted you to stop, because...we can't do this here! The kids are light sleepers, and their room is right next to mine!"

"Oh," Reno said, suddenly feeling foolish. His cheeks were still red and flushed with anger. "So...you still want to - ?"

"Let's go before I change my mind," Cloud muttered, quickly throwing on a shirt and grabbing his jacket. He fished around the pocket for some keys, and jingled them lightly in his hand. "Come on," Cloud urged, quickly kissing Reno, and shoving him toward the door.

As both men descended the stairs, Reno suddenly remembered that he'd promised Tifa he'd settle his tab before he left. "Shit," he murmured. Cloud was turning left to head out the back door, rather than turning right, which would have brought them both out to the bar area.

"Cloud, wait - I have to pay my tab at the bar before we go. I promised Tifa," Reno told him, as he halted his steps. The swordsman sighed in irritation.

"Go, take care of it," Cloud told him abruptly. "Fenrir's out back. Meet me there."

"Uh...okay, then," Reno muttered, feeling uncharacteristically flustered. _How in the hell am I going to ride on the back of that thing with a fucking hard-on? _"Be right out, yo." Cloud nodded at him, then turned in the other direction, heading toward the back door.

Reno stumbled out into the bar, blinking his eyes as they adjusted to the brighter lighting out there. He raised an eyebrow and smirked, as he realized his partner was now sitting at the bar, finishing his beer as he quietly chatted with Tifa. The place had emptied out; Reno's drink was still sitting up on the bar, condensation pooling on the outside of the whiskey tumbler.

"Reno," Tifa said, surprised. She looked up at the Turk as she saw him approach the bar.

"Just wanted to pay up my tab, Tifa," Reno muttered, avoiding Rude's glare - he supposed his partner was glaring at him, although it was hard to tell behind those sunglasses - and he fished out two twenty-gil notes. Noticing the tumbler of whiskey waiting for him on the bar, Reno shrugged his shoulders and took the glass in his hand, downing the drink in two gulps. The clean burn of the whiskey going down felt good, though it did little to steady Reno's nerves, or to still the wild beating of his heart.

"Keep the change, yo," he muttered, pushing the money across the bar toward Tifa. "Hey...partner," Reno said in a low voice, as Tifa turned away to place the money in the cash register. "You don't have to wait for me - I got a ride home. With Cloud."

"With Cloud, huh?" Rude muttered. He smirked at Reno. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do, Reno."

"Oh shut up, Rude!" Reno hissed. He waved at Tifa, who was coming back toward him. "See ya, Tifa. And Rude, see ya tomorrow."

Rude grunted and smirked into his bottle of beer, as Tifa stared at Reno's retreating form.

Tifa stared in silence for a few moments, until she saw that Reno had disappeared from view, exiting through the back door.

"What the hell is going on between your partner and Cloud, Rude?" Tifa demanded. "I know Cloud's out back waiting for him," she said, cocking her head. "I just heard him starting up Fenrir. He'd better not wake the kids," Tifa muttered.

Rude shrugged his shoulders indifferently. "What's going on between them," he echoed, smirking. "I don't know...but something had better happen _soon_, because I'm sick of hearing about it from Reno."

* * *

><p>Reno broke into a quick trot as he headed toward the back exit. Some small part of him thought this must be an elaborate hoax; surely Strife would have second thoughts and perhaps just take off on his bike, leaving Reno quite literally in the dust.<p>

But, miracle of miracles, Cloud was still there, parked in the alleyway and seated on Fenrir; looking every inch a badass. It made Reno harder than he already was, if such a thing were possible.

He nodded at Cloud, who gave him a small smile in return. Reno's face broke out in an unabashed grin as he took a seat behind Cloud on the bike. He leaned forward against the taut, muscled back, and spoke in Cloud's ear, trying to be heard above the noise of Fenrir's engine.

"Where ya taking me?" he asked playfully, his arms wrapping around Cloud's waist. Smirking, Cloud turned his head back slightly to look at Reno, and shrugged.

"Wherever you want," Cloud said, twisting his hand as he tested the throttle on his bike. "Your place okay? You're on Fifth Street, right?"

"That's fine by me," Reno replied, leaning back slightly on the bike. "Yeah, it's the complex on Fifth. Let's go, yo." Cloud nodded, and navigated the bike out of the alleyway, speeding off into the crisply cool evening air.

* * *

><p>Cloud was driving like a bat out of hell - not that this was anything unusual, Reno thought, as the wind flew through his hair at an increasing velocity, once Cloud accelerated the motorcycle. He did wonder how much this sudden burst of speed had to do with Cloud being horny, and grinned at the thought. Reno's hands ghosted around the front of Cloud's torso; oh, how he wanted to let them inch lower - just a few inches lower, to see if Cloud was as hard as he was.<p>

Deciding this might not be such a wise idea while Cloud was piloting the motorcycle at speeds that bordered on asinine, Reno let his hands remain where they were. The Turk smirked as he thought about how obvious his own desire was; with Cloud's firm ass seated in between his legs, Reno knew that there was no way the swordsman could _not_ notice that the Turk was as hard as a rock, and that his erection was poking him in the ass. Reno moaned with every sharp corner they took, every bump they hit; it was a jolt to his sensitive groin. He prayed to Shiva, Minerva, and any other deities he could think of, that he would not come all over himself before they even reached their destination.

Mercifully, they finally reached Reno's apartment and the minute Cloud cut the engine, Reno was off of the bike in a flash. "Thank Gaia," he muttered, fumbling in his pockets for his keys. Cloud got off of the motorcycle, and arched an eyebrow at Reno.

"Was that some sort of crack about my driving?" he asked Reno, smirking.

"No!" Reno sputtered, shaking his head. "Nothing like that, yo. Hell, your driving's no worse than mine," he added, grinning. "It's just that - well, damn, how DO you drive that thing without coming in your pants, Cloud? It's like a fucking vibrator on wheels."

Cloud laughed out loud. Reno stared at him; he realized he'd never seen Cloud laugh before. It was a beautiful sight and sound to behold, and made the Turk even hungrier in his lust for the swordsman.

"Come here," Reno purred, pulling Cloud by the hand. They approached the corner of Reno's apartment building, when the Turk suddenly stopped, spun around and grabbed Cloud by the hips; Reno pulled him into his pelvis, grinding against him as he kissed him hard.

"Want you," Reno whispered desperately. "I don't think I've ever wanted anything so bad in my life."

"Can't we go inside?" Cloud asked, smirking. "If you think you can keep it in your pants that long, that is."

Reno chuckled, kissing Cloud one more time before releasing him. "It'll be a challenge, but I can try." He turned and walked Cloud toward the front door, and held it open for him. "Second floor, yo," he told Cloud. As Cloud ascended the stairs before him, Reno blatantly stared at Cloud's ass, and nearly tripped over his feet as he reached the landing. Cloud glanced behind him as he heard Reno falter, and smirked at him. "You're staring at my ass," he remarked, amused.

"You'd be staring too, if you were in my position," Reno retorted, grinning. They reached Reno's apartment, and the Turk opened the door, ushering Cloud inside. He flipped on the overhead light once they were inside, and Cloud was a bit surprised to find the place fairly neat, and nearly spotless.

"Nice place," Cloud remarked. "It's very...clean," he said, chuckling.

"Why does everyone assume I'm a fucking slob?" Reno cracked, smirking. "Um..." The Turk paused, scratching his head awkwardly. "Want something to drink?"

"No," Cloud said huskily. "Let's just...go to the bedroom." He stared at Reno, feeling as if he might melt under that aquamarine gaze of his.

"Yeah," Reno murmured, still staring at Cloud. "This way." He linked his fingers with Cloud's and, holding his hand, dragged him down the small hallway to the bedroom.

"I still can't believe this is happening," Cloud muttered as they entered the bedroom.

"Why you keep saying that, Cloud?" Reno asked him. He sat on the edge of the bed, and patted the spot next to him, inviting Cloud to sit. The blond sat next to him, and both men began taking off their shoes, kicking them to the side of the bed.

"I don't know," Cloud admitted, shaking his head. "I feel...I don't know, guilty? The ex-mercenary and a Turk...strange bedfellows," he quipped.

"You feel _guilty_? Give me a fucking break, yo. Look...if you're going to keep throwing it in my face about being a Turk, then...maybe we _shouldn't_ do this," Reno said irritably. "Just stop fucking with me Strife, okay? I may have done some pretty shitty things in my life, but believe it or not, I have feelings too. Don't fuck with them." Unexpectedly, Reno felt a single tear threaten to spill; now he was pissed at the emotional reaction Cloud was eliciting in him. _He's getting to me,_ Reno thought. _He's getting to me, and I don't like it. I don't like feeling vulnerable like that._

"Reno, I don't mean it like that," Cloud explained, taking a seat next to Reno. He sighed, and rested a hand on Reno's knee. "I am utterly fucking this up...and I don't mean to, Reno. I don't. I just...I don't know what we're doing, or why I'm even here...I want to be, but I don't even know _why_. I don't know what I want - "

"Stop talking, then," Reno interrupted, pressing his lips to Cloud's, gently running his tongue over those kissable lips. "Stop overthinking and analyzing everything, Cloud. Let's just see what happens." Cloud nodded, and Reno eased the blond back onto the bed, and lay on top of him, one hand wandering down to stroke Cloud through his pants.

"Gods, yes," Cloud hissed, moving his crotch back and forth against Reno's massaging hand. "Reno..."

Reno's hair was half-out of the elastic that held it back; it hung loosely around his face in a spray of red, looking every bit like the headdress of an ancient warrior. The effect was erotic, and it turned Cloud on as he studied the Turk's face. "Reno..." he repeated, lacing his fingers into the feathery locks of red hair that hung down.

"Yeah?" Reno murmured, his hand now moving between their bodies to unfasten Cloud's pants. Cloud reached around Reno, and grabbed a handful of his ass, squeezing it. Reno growled pleasurably.

"That felt good, Cloud," Reno murmured, finally unfastening Cloud's pants and sliding them down. The Turk looked down and licked his lips at the sight before him.

"You were right, Cloud," Reno said, snickering. As Cloud looked up at him curiously, Reno laughed. "You were right...when you said you weren't compsenating for anything with your sword." Cloud grinned, then gasped as Reno's head dipped lower. The redhead's hair elastic was long gone by now, and his hair was free, falling all around his head and shoulders like sheets of fiery rain. A single drop of moisture that had collected on the head of Cloud's erection glinted in the low light of the bedroom, and Reno dipped his head down to lap it up with his tongue; then, he took Cloud's length fully in his mouth, softly sucking the hard flesh.

"_Fuck_," Cloud whispered, writhing and bucking his hips upward into the wet warmth of the Turk's mouth. _Gods_, Cloud thought, his pulse skyrocketing_. How easy would it be to just let myself go, and lose myself with him…just lose myself in Reno._

_~he's a Turk, for Gaia's sake~_

_I don't care, _Cloud told himself firmly, trying to shut out the nagging voice of his conscience. _I need this. I need…Reno. _It shocked the hell out of Cloud, admitting this to himself, that he actually needed someone. It almost felt like admitting some sort of weakness, if only to himself. Cloud grumbled in disappointment as Reno suddenly stopped what he was doing and sat up.

"What – why'd you stop?" Cloud mumbled.

"Because, I have too many clothes on," Reno replied, chuckling. "Getting warm in here, yo."

Cloud smiled at this. "You're right about that," he said in a low murmur. He quickly slid off his shirt and flung it to the side, then sat up on his knees, crushing Reno to his chest as they both knelt in the middle of the bed. Reno was still in his Turk uniform, and quickly threw off his black jacket. Cloud slid calloused hands up the back of Reno's shirt, idly wondering if he'd be able to get his shaking hands to unbutton the white uniform shirt.

_Or...not_, Cloud thought, grinning wickedly. He gripped Reno's dress shirt on either side, and pulled, sending buttons flying all over the bedroom.

Reno met Cloud's lustful stare, and laughed knowingly. "Guess you _are_ horny," he said teasingly.

"Obviously," Cloud retorted, grinning. He was tugging at the waistband of Reno's pants, struggling with the belt buckle. "Shit," he muttered. "It's stuck."

"There's a trick to unbuckling it," Reno said, smirking. With one hand, Reno quickly unbuckled his belt and whipped it off, throwing it against the wall, where it made a loud clatter. As he unfastened Reno's uniform pants, Cloud pressed his body in closer, kissing the Turk; then, he rudely shoved his hand down the front of Reno's pants, cupping his balls and squeezing his erection.

"Shit, Strife," Reno hissed through his teeth. "Don't...ah, don't make me come yet," he pleaded.

"Why not?" Cloud asked, frowning. He eased Reno's pants down, and the Turk pulled them off the rest of the way, throwing them on the floor. Still kneeling in the center of the bed, Reno smiled at Cloud, and pushed the blond back down onto the bed.

"Because," Reno purred, lowering his body onto Cloud's, "I'm not ready to come yet. You'll know when I am, though." He parted Cloud's thighs and lay in between them, moaning ecstatically as their erections rubbed against one another. Reno kissed Cloud roughly, grinding down into him.

"Do you want...to be on top?" Reno asked hesitantly.

Cloud shook his head. "No," he replied. "Not this time."

_Not this time_, Reno thought, grinning. _Does that mean...there'll be a next time? _His heart raced at the possiblity, although it was just as likely that Cloud didn't mean it, what with the mixed signals he'd been giving Reno all evening.

"Okay," Reno muttered, heart pounding faster yet. "I'll...get ya ready." He reached over to his bedside table and quickly located the industrial sized container of lube, and began coating his fingers with the substance.

"That's a shitload of lube," Cloud observed. "Do you do this often?" he asked, a hint of an accusatory tone to his voice.

"Do I do what often?" Reno asked, frowning at the implication. "Bring someone into my bed? No, actually...I don't. You assume too much," he snapped.

Cloud's expression softened, and he sighed. "I didn't mean to insult you, Reno. It's just...that's a really big container of lube," he said, chuckling. "I didn't know it came in that size."

"Yeah, well," Reno retorted. "When you jerk off as much as I do, you need a shitload of this stuff." He grinned as he leaned over Cloud, snaking his fingers toward the blond's entrance. Cloud took in a sharp breath as Reno inserted his fingers, one at a time, slowly stretching him.

"Ready?" Reno asked Cloud quietly. Cloud nodded, bending his legs at the knee and parted them, inching down slightly on the bed. Reno slicked himself thoroughly with lube, and slowly eased himself into Cloud, gasping loudly as he felt the blond constricting and spasming around his cock.

"Fuck, you feel good, Cloud," Reno moaned, moving slowly in and out.

"Yeah," Cloud whispered, panting. "So do you." He placed his hands above Reno's hips, bucking his own hips in time with the Turk's thrusts. "_Harder_, Reno," Cloud said hoarsely. "I need to feel you. Don't hold back." Gods, for the first time in a long time, Cloud felt _alive_. The blood roared in his ears, and the sweat was pouring off of his body as Reno drove into him; it was as if the Turk instinctively knew what Cloud needed, what his body needed.

Reno was riding a wave of euphoria; he'd never experienced sex like this, and they'd barely just begun. He felt as if he was high, and each movement, each thrust into the blond writhing beneath him, sent him further into the stratosphere. It was as if the world was spinning, and Reno needed to grab onto something before he fell off.

He reached his hands over Cloud's head and gripped the wooden slats of the headboard. Reno anchored himself with the headboard, and began driving into Cloud relentlessly. "Tell me if it's too much, yo," Reno whispered. "I don't want to stop, though."

"I don't _want_ you to stop," Cloud muttered, grunting. He gripped Reno's hips tightly, hard enough to leave a bruise, as the Turk drove into him harder.

_Gods, to feel like this again...I feel so alive right now,_ Cloud thought. _So alive. _

"Nggh!" Cloud groaned, his head rolling back. "Reno...ah, Reno..." he murmured, reaching a hand up to rake his fingers through the Turk's hair. Cloud smiled up at him; he had to admit, the Turk was damned sexy, especially when he let his hair down. Reno's lips were peeled back in an almost feral grin, as he lost himself more and more, with each thrust. It was almost as if Cloud was pulling Reno in by a tractor beam, and the Turk couldn't resist the gravitational pull.

_It's like he's claimed me_, Reno suddenly realized. _Cloud is fucking claiming me as his own...even if he doesn't realize it yet. _The realization hit Reno's groin with a searing heat, and he wanted to give Cloud even more, as much as he possibly could, without losing himself completely.

_Being lost like this wouldn't be all that bad though, would it_, Reno thought idly, as he gripped the slats of the headboard tightly, thrusting hard into Cloud. The swordsman wrapped his legs around Reno and placed his hands on the sides of his lean torso.

"Reno," Cloud rasped. "More. Give me all you've got..."

"You asked for it," Reno muttered, arching his back as he pushed even harder into Cloud, who was now stroking his aching cock up and down. A guttural, animal noise escaped from Cloud; it was accompanied by the sound of splintering wood as Reno cracked the headboard in half, ripping it from where it had been bolted to the steel bed frame below.

"_FUCK_!" Reno roared, arching his back as he came, spilling inside of Cloud. The headboard, still clutched in Reno's hands, hung crookedly now that it was broken. The Turk felt Cloud tremble and stiffen beneath him; then, the warm rush of his orgasm washed over both of them, spurting through the blond's clenched fingers.

Both men were panting hard, both feeling as if they'd just finished running a marathon; deeply satisfied, yet exhausted.

"Damn," Reno said quietly, wincing as he pulled out of Cloud. He had one hand holding up the headboard, to keep it from falling on top of Cloud. As the blond sat up, he looked behind him and grinned.

"Do you always tend to break furniture when you have sex, Reno?" Cloud asked with a snicker.

"Only with you, Cloud," Reno replied with a grin, moving the the broken headboard to the side. He sat back down on the bed, exhausted, and captured Cloud's lips in a prolonged, sweet kiss. "Only with you."

Cloud sighed, and lay back down on the bed, cradling Reno to his chest. The Turk curled easily into his side, and Clouds wanted nothing more than to stay the night with Reno; yet, that nagging little voice in the back of his mind told him to _go_.

He kissed the top of Reno's head, and sighed again. "I guess I should go," Cloud murmured into the nest of red hair. "Let you get some sleep."

Reno felt his heart catch. _Guess this was just a one-night stand for Cloud, then_, he thought despondently. "You don't have to go if you don't want to, Cloud," he said softly, praying he didn't sound too desperate and clingy. _I need him, though_, Reno thought. _And I think he needs me, too. _

"I want to stay with you," Cloud whispered. "I just - "

"You feel guilty," Reno said, interrupting. "You need to fucking stop that. Just let everything go, Cloud. You know...you saved the fucking Planet, you know. _Twice_. You deserve some happiness now."

"I know, Reno," Cloud said, kissing Reno's forehead. "I know you're right. Tonight was...well, unexpected, at the beginning. But, it was pretty fucking incredible, overall."

"It was for me, too," Reno replied. "Well - except for that shit with the bed breaking," he commented, smirking at the splintered headboard now resting against an adjoining wall.

Cloud chuckled softly, tightening his arms around Reno. "I can't believe you broke it, Reno," he said. "You're stronger than I realized."

"Good thing _you_ weren't on top, then," Reno cracked. "You probably would have fucked me through the wall." The two laughed for a few moments, still amused over the mishap with the headboard.

A million questions were running through Reno's head; the main one being, _what will happen now? _When tomorrow came, would he and Cloud go their separate ways, as if nothing ever happened? Reno prayed not, but given how damned guilty Cloud seemed to feel over his attraction to a _Turk_, Reno wasn't too sure whether or not they're share anything else beyond this one passionate evening. And, it felt to Reno as if his entire world had changed since taking Cloud into his bed; he wondered if the planet's hero felt the same.

"Stay with me, Cloud," Reno blurted in a half-whisper. "Just...stay the night with me. We'll talk in the morning."

Cloud nodded. It wouldn't be fair, he felt, to just bolt out of there, after what he and Reno had just shared together; it'd be akin to treating Reno like a piece of meat. He didn't deserve that. "I'll stay," Cloud whispered. "Until tomorrow."

Reno let out a sigh of relief. "Good," he whispered. "I'm glad. Make ya some pancakes in the morning," he said, grinning as he gave Cloud a quick kiss. "I'm gonna clean up before I hit the rack, though."

"I should do that too," Cloud murmured, yawning.

"Stay right there," Reno offered. "I'll get you something." The redhead extricated himself from Cloud's warm embrace, and headed to his bathroom to fetch a couple of washcloths for the both of them.

Cloud stretched all his limbs out, easing the stiffness out of them, then curled back up in a ball and yawned. Sleep kept threatening to overtake him, as his lids grew heavier and heavier. He couldn't stop thinking about Reno, how good it felt when the Turk was inside him. And the taste of his lips, his mouth; Cloud wanted more. Guilt or no guilt over bedding a Turk, Cloud realized that Reno had awoken something in him which had long been dormant, and he didn't want to lose that feeling - not ever.

As Reno approached the bed, bearing a cloth in each hand, Cloud smiled at him. "Thank you," he told Reno, as he handed him the washcloth. "For everything. Nobody...has ever made me feel like that, Reno," Cloud confessed. "_Nobody_."

Reno chuckled as he cleaned himself off, then took the cloths and threw them in a nearby laundry basket. He slid underneath the cool bedsheets, and spooned behind Cloud, snugging an arm around the blond's torso.

"I was thinking the same thing," Reno admitted, kissing Cloud's neck. "You make me crazy, Cloud. But in a good way," he added, grinning. "Most of the time."

"Maybe we _are_ good for each other," Cloud said dubiously. "It's just...taking me by surprise, is all. Reno," he continued, sighing. "I have a lot of baggage. I'm not easy to be with. I wouldn't blame you if you ran the other way and never looked back."

"I'm not easy to be with either," Reno retorted. "Like I said before, we can just see what happens. All I know is...I don't want things to end tonight. I don't want to wake up tomorrow, and have us acting like nothing ever happened."

"I don't want to hurt you," Cloud muttered. "Everyone I've ever loved...they all get hurt, eventually. Because of me."

_Loved? _Reno gaped. He didn't think Cloud was declaring his love for him certainly, but...he was the one who said it.

"Is that why you shut everyone out, babe?" Reno asked gently. "Don't. Don't shut me out. I'm here for you. As long as you'll have me."

"Thank you for that," Cloud murmured sleepily. He yawned, and turned his head back slightly to kiss Reno. "Good night, Reno." Cloud snuggled back into Reno's embrace, relaxing into the warmth of his body heat.

"Good night, Cloud," Reno whispered, kissing him on the cheek. He settled his chin on Cloud's shoulder, and drifted off to sleep.


End file.
